Davis: Could the Eagles be better off trading Wentz over Foles?

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl LII leading Philadelphia to its third straight upset win in the playoffs.

Photo: Jim Mone /Associated Press File

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In the biggest trade in NFL history, Dallas sent running back Herschel Walker in 1989 to Minnesota for a bounty of picks that launched a dynasty. After Nick Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win, wouldIn the biggest trade in NFL history, Dallas sent running back Herschel Walker in 1989 to Minnesota for a bounty of picks that launched a dynasty. After Nick Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win, would Philadelphia consider trading starting QB Carson Wentz for another massive return?

Photo: Frank Franklin II /Associated Press

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Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles, left, led Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl in franchise history winning 41-33 over New England Sunday. The team won the title without QB Carson Wentz, right, an MVPEagles backup quarterback Nick Foles, left, led Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl in franchise history winning 41-33 over New England Sunday. The team won the title without QB Carson Wentz, right, an MVP candidate who tore his ACL and LCL in Week 14 of the regular season.

You saw the headline and you’re already shaking your head, so let’s get this out of the way from the start: The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t trading Carson Wentz this offseason.

With that being said, could you imagine how scary they potentially might be if they did?

Fresh off their first Super Bowl title, Philadelphia is flying high. Their beloved Eagles franchise has finally hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. And they did it with their backup quarterback.

The terrifying part is just how good that No. 2 option was. Nick Foles, the same guy who contemplated retirement a few years ago, was not some minor piece on the Super Bowl LII chess board. He wasn’t a game manager, he wasn’t just protecting the ball and letting his defense give him a chance to win it. In the biggest game of his life, Foles was unshaken, efficient and effective.

We’re talking about a guy outdueling Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. A player that took Brady’s best shot time and time again and still survived. Foles faced arguably the best quarterback in the history of the NFL, and Brady threw for over 500 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions as the Patriots became the first team in the title game’s history to not punt — and Foles still won.

This isn’t a one-game aberration. In fact, take a look at Foles during this year’s playoff games:

These aren’t just average games. These are multiple instances of Foles carrying his offense and excelling. The last two weeks are particularly staggering. Pro Football Focus senior analyst Mike Renner tweeted after the game that Foles graded out better in each of those two outings than Wentz did during any game of his career. And not only were the Eagles underdogs in every postseason game, but Foles’ most impressive performance came against a Vikings team that was ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total defense and No. 2 in both rush and pass defense individually.

Foles also had an impressive regular-season performance against the woeful Giants throwing for 237 yards and four touchdowns for a 115.8 QB Rating. So maybe, just maybe, Foles — who is still only 29 by the way — is actually a pretty darn good quarterback. What if his 2013 season when he tossed 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions wasn’t the aberration, rather it was closer to his actual talent level than what his past few years as a mediocre signal-caller has shown?

So let’s say that the Eagles get an idea this offseason that’s something like this: We know we can win with Foles because we just did it against the most formidable opponent imaginable. And with Foles’ up-and-down history, we aren’t going to fetch much for him in any deal. So what if we moved Wentz instead for a ridiculous bounty and became that much better going into the next few years?

I mean, honestly, what in the world could the Eagles fetch for Wentz if they truly put him on the market? We’re talking about a quarterback-starved NFL that has multiple suitors ready to make Kirk freaking Cousins the highest-paid player in NFL history. What would teams give up for Wentz, a 25-year-old, second-year player who was a legitimate MVP candidate prior to tearing his ACL and LCL? Could you imagine how much they could land? Would it be the biggest return of any trade in NFL history?

Due to their desperate need for a quarterback and their bounty of picks, the Browns would be the obvious frontrunners. Right now, Cleveland owns the No. 1 and 4 picks in this year’s NFL draft. That’s on top of the No. 1, 3 and 31 picks of the second round. The Browns once reportedly offered three first-round picks and a second to move up to No. 2 to take Robert Griffin III in 2012. They didn’t get the trade as Washington ended up sending that same bounty to the Rams. And that was for an unproven QB.

What could the Eagles ask for? In a league where top-shelf quarterbacks are rapidly getting older and retiring, the market would be vast. And I wouldn’t be shocked if teams with older yet talented QBs decided to throw their hats in the ring as well. What if the Browns offered all those first- and second-round picks along with another first next year for Wentz? What if they added in Myles Garrett?

The point is that there comes a time where any player in the league should be moved for the right amount. The Eagles are already absurdly talented and they have only a few free agents hitting the market. Could you imagine adding all that elite young talent to practically the exact same team that just punched the Patriots in the mouth for the title? We’re talking about potentially creating a dynasty in an instant.

Of course, the most significant trade in league history was the Herschel Walker deal as the Cowboys sent their star running back along with a pair of third-round picks and two later selections to Minnesota in 1989 for three first- and three second-round picks as well as a third, a sixth and five players — four of which were cut or traded. The move resulted in being the catalyst that led to Dallas building a foundation that resulted in three Super Bowl championships in four seasons.

The gamble, of course, is that Foles would have to continue being the Foles that we just saw this year. If he regressed, the Eagles would still be extremely good, just flawed at the most important position on the field. Then again, there’s also risk in Wentz who is coming off a fairly serious injury. As Griffin showed — the most efficient passer in the NFL his rookie season — not everyone always comes back from that. Additionally, maybe Wentz like Foles has himself been elevated by head coach Doug Pederson and his staff, fresh off one of the most gutsy and beautifully-called games in recent memory. Those two factors would make the risk much less in retrospect.

Again, I doubt this scenario comes into play. Wentz is the future of the Eagles and one they are very excited about. But it’s fascinating to think how good Philadelphia could potentially be if Foles could provide the same level of play he displayed in the playoffs long term while Wentz brought a king’s ransom in return. Regardless of whatever the Eagles’ impending decision at QB is, they’ll have to make a choice this offseason one way or the other because there’s no chance both will be on that roster again next season.